Worst Road, pish posh!

Lucia:
We just arrived in Santa Elena, located in the cloud forest (not a bit cloudy right now though). Going from La Fortuna to Santa Elena meant going around the Lago de Arenal (Arenal Lake, a big lake in the middle of the mountains. Que Linda!) We got some gorgeous pictures, so watch for those posted in the future.
The drive included a non paved stretch from Tilaran to Santa Elena. This was a bit rough. But when it started I was very concerned about a flat tire, so I may or may not have been going zero on the spedometer. Sara suggested going a bit faster, so that we weren´t bouncing up and down and not even arriving for a million hours. Since not 20 minutes ago she had asked me to slow down (I was really getting into the whole curvy road thing) I thought this request was probable do-able.
funny thing about that request to slow down, it was followed not 1 curve later with a close brush with death in the form of a big semi taking the curve in the middle of the road. I laughed while Sara admonished, I don´t even find that funny.
Sort of sad to leave La Fortuna, well, actually sort of sad that I didn´t make out with the Eskimo. I felt like that was a checkbox that I will never get another chance at. I have to excuse Eskimo, as he probably doesn´t have great pick up skills being that he lives 30 miles from the village of 100 natives. But, there is no excuse for me, I certainly have the skills to make up for his deficit. I sort of thought about climbing into bed with him last night, but besides my complete and utter exhaustion that drove me to sleep with a full bladder rather than get up and go to the bathroom, I just couldn´t get past the 6 other people in our room. Those people, combined with the weird yellow light sliver from the outside lightbulb that fell on his bed, really made this whole thing sort of impossible. I don´t know how you hook up with a fellow backpacker at a hostel. It has been so long since I have been in college or on spring break, I forget how it works. oh, and the full bladder, no way I would have been able to make out with anyone.
so this morning I bid the Eskimo adios as well as Boring Barbara as she careened in some bike that she rented.
But, then after we had checked out and said our goodbyes, we were forced to come back in because our battery was dead. oh, that is a bit embarrassing.
By the way, when Sara and I came into this hostel, there was a girl, lets call her Not Japanese, but some kind of Asian girl, that Sara felt was way too annoying. While we are both sitting here at the computers the girl is asking a guy just trying to watch a soccer match if they have any really strong tea. I could feel Sara stiffen with suppressed rage. I think it is funny only because I am always the one that hates people upon first sight. on this trip Sara has instantly hated both Boring Barbara as well as Not Japanese, but some kind of Asian Girl. Now Not Japanese is asking these guys if they want to split a hamburger with her. seems inocuous, right? not so. Sara is mumbling under her breath, get out of here.
Back to the battery- Alamo to the rescue and not 30 minutos later we were on our way. Beautiful vista after beautiful vista... it was almost too much.
we once again ate a meal with a dog sleeping at our feet waiting for our crumbs. I find this charming, Sara not so much.
I can´t wait to bring my mother here, there is so much to see and she would really enjoy it.
it is like Latin America Lite. almost everyone speaks english, the roads are pretty good, the places fairly easy to find and so much to look at.
oh, and they take dollars. it is just such a great place. like somewhere in America except the people are all nice and it doesn´t have a single wal-mart.
paradise
Lucia.